


What If: Canon Versus Headcanon

by SideQuestPublications



Series: DC Random [6]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-07-13 15:09:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16020464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SideQuestPublications/pseuds/SideQuestPublications
Summary: What if the fans were in charge? What if our headcanon was true canon? How might that change some of the events on the show? This "story" takes in-canon scenes and modifies them solely to explore how my own fanfics might influence events if I were the one writing the script. Note: not intended as a "fix" fic though some (eventual) chapters might look that way; this is just for my own curiosity.





	1. Infantano Street

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What if"... my Flash Sideways fanfic was true canon?
> 
> How might things have gone differently when Barry tried to recruit Len for the fight against Savitar?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This short scene shows how the dialogue _might_ have gone in the episode Infantano Street when Barry recruits Len for the ARGUS break-in.  
>  It was written before I actually watched the episode (random moments of in-canon dialogue come from a transcript I found online and were only checked against the episode after the fact). While I prefer to keep my blatant violations of canon to a minimum (except when the story's premise requires it, aka Alternate Universe) and am rewriting it to take that into account for the short fic Catalyst, I like this version too much to just throw it away entirely.
> 
> Though I plan to eventually post other "what ifs" in here, as implied by the description, this scene is the one that prompted me to create this "story" in the first place. As such, this might be the only "chapter" for some time while I focus on my other fics.
> 
> All characters seen or mentioned copyright DC, CW, etc.

"And I assume saving your _girlfriend_ requires us doing something... less than lawful?" Leonard asked.

"We need to break into ARGUS," Barry replied. "And steal an alien power source."

"The Flash, a _thief_?" Leonard smirked. He flexed his right hand, making sure his fingers were plenty limber for whatever he might need to pick up. "That's my kind of mission." He frowned. "Just one problem; when are you _from_? When's this heist supposed to go down?"

"Um...." Barry shuffled his feet; he wouldn't look at the thief. "2017," he mumbled.

"Hmmm.... sorry, I'll have to pass," Leonard said. He turned around and walked into the Waverider.

Barry followed close behind. "But Snart, I—"

" _Mr. Snart!_ " Rip snapped. He glared at the thief. "How many times do I have to tell you people, to stop bringing in—Mr. Allen?"

Barry sighed and removed his cowl. "So much for keeping it a secret," he muttered.

"Everyone on this ship already knows who you are," Rip replied.

Leonard merely pointed at Mick.

Mick only stared back with his mouth hanging open. "He's a kid?" the arsonist finally managed to say. He shook his head and began laughing. "We've had our asses handed to us by... by _jailbait_? Jesus, Len, no wonder you've gone soft."

"Not the time," Leonard growled.

Mick just shook his head again and kept laughing.

Rip's face paled. "My—my apologies, Mr.... Flash," he mumbled. He threw his hands in the air. "Er, Mr. Allen," he repeated. "But what exactly are you doing here?"

"He says he needs my help for something," Leonard replied before Barry could say a word. "He's from the future." He waved vaguely at the rest of the crew. " _Our_ future. 2017."

Rip crossed his arms. "I assume you refused."

"Are you that stupid?" Leonard snapped. "Of _course_ I refused. Now if all of you will excuse me, I'll be in my room trying to pretend that this conversation never happened." He turned to Barry, took one look at the speedster's expression, and walked out without another word.

"Would you like to listen in?" Gideon asked once the thief reached his assigned quarters.

" _Et tu_ , Gideon?" Leonard asked. "You know what he's asking from me." He lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

But though the AI had phrased it as a suggestion, her tone said it was nothing of the sort.

He sighed. "I suppose if I must."

" _You've got to talk to him_ ," Barry's broken voice sounded over the speaker. "Please _. I've run out of options; Iris will die if we can't get this thing built, and Snart's the only one I know who can get the part I need_." A pause. " _Er... sorry, Mick_."

Mick only grunted.

" _I'm afraid I don't understand what you think we can do about it_ ," Rip said. " _You can't_ honestly _believe that I—that any of us—can persuade Mr. Snart to do something he doesn't want to do? And the fact of the matter is, while I sympathize with your plight, I happen to agree with him. He cannot risk learning his own future_."

" _I know it can be dangerous_ —" Barry protested.

" _You cannot begin to comprehend_ how _dangerous_ ," Rip said.

" _Wanna bet_?" Barry muttered.

" _I am truly sorry_ ," Rip insisted, " _but I cannot approve of this plan. It would be too complicated to involve Mr. Snart at this time_."

" _It's_ already _too complicated_ ," Barry complained. " _How could he possibly make it any worse_?"

Ouch.

" _I'm afraid that is on a need-to-know basis_ ," Rip replied. " _And Mr. Snart will be the one to decide if you need to know_." He sighed. " _If you believe that his skills are critical to your mission, then you will simply have to recruit him from your own time_."

" _Do you really think I would've come here if I could do that?_ "

" _Why can't you?_ " That was Ray's voice. " _I mean, if you honestly trust him enough to ask him now.... He can't change_ that _much in the next couple of years. Can he?_ "

Leonard snorted. _Compared to how much I've changed in the_ last _couple of years?_

" _I can't_ —" The speedster sounded near to tears. " _It's complicated. Just... please don't ask me why_."

Well, that was unexpected. Leonard wasn't surprised that tears would be involved, not with Iris' life on the line, but for _that_ question to be the final push?

Obviously the argument was running too long, fraying whatever shred of control Barry had been clinging to. But the thief found the timing unsettling.

The door to his room slid open and Sara poked her head in. "Having fun eavesdropping?"

"You know why I can't help him," Leonard replied. "All the tears in the world won't change that."

"I know," Sara replied. "But Barry doesn't. Are you seriously going to stay in here and let him think that you don't care, instead of _explaining_ why you can't help him?"

He shrugged. "Works for me."

Sara shook her head. "You are unbelievable, you know that? You honestly think that admitting that you're scared would make you weak, but the truth is, you're just too scared to admit it."

"Too scared to admit what?" Barry asked.

Leonard opened his eyes to see the speedster standing in the doorway.

Barry stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop."

"I guess I will leave the two of you alone, then," Sara said.

Leonard growled, but he couldn't even protest without admitting that she was right.

Barry waited until the door slid shut behind her before he faced Leonard. "Snart, _please_. I know changing history is complicated under the best of circumstances, and with you guys doing your own mission.... I wouldn't even ask you if I had another option."

"And asking my future self is not one of those options?" Leonard asked. "Or at least that's what you told the others. Gideon?"

"Yes, Mr. Snart?"

"What if I did agree to this field trip?" Leonard asked. "Hypothetically.... Can you tell how that would affect my timeline?"

"I'd return you right to this same time," Barry said. "If I need to."

"But you couldn't stop me from seeing my own future," Leonard pointed out.

Barry flinched.

"I mean, you could _try_ ," Leonard continued to murmur, "but there's bound to be something you'd miss. A random word. A stray glance. Something that means absolutely nothing to you but speaks volumes to me.... You don't think like a thief, so you might not realize just how much I can learn from somebody's body language. Your diagnosis, Gideon?"

"In this hypothetical timeline," Gideon replied, "I'm detecting unusual levels of temporal energy surrounding your near future. A side effect of Mr. Allen bringing you through the Speed Force. But the changes are minimal and I can help you manage any lingering symptoms once you return to the Waverider."

" _Symptoms_?" Barry whispered. "What are you—"

"For how long?" Leonard asked.

"A matter of weeks," Gideon replied. "From your perspective. The symptoms would vanish by the time Captain Hunter's own mission is completed."

Leonard nodded. "Good to know. So you really think you need my skills as a thief? Then I have one condition: _My_ rules."

"Your rules," Barry repeated. "Right. I can do that."

"Can you, though?" Leonard said. "I wonder...."

—WHAT IF: CATALYST—

Rip met them outside of the cargo bay. "You're doing this after all," he muttered. "Despite the consequences."

"Gideon said she can manage it," Leonard said. He smirked. "Or am I not supposed to _trust_ the team?"

Rip glared at the thief. "I _swear_ you're doing this just to annoy me."

"I wouldn't take this kind of risk if that was the only benefit," Leonard replied.

"But you don't deny that you consider it a benefit." Rip shook his head. "Never mind. Good luck to both of you." He glanced back inside the ship, then turned back to face them again. "Ah, Mr. Allen, a moment. I believe Dr. Palmer has something for Mr. Snart."

Ray walked to the opening, stared at frozen ground below them, and backed up a few steps. "Um...."

"Any time, Ray," Leonard growled. "It's not even snowing out; my cold gun can freeze you worse than anything else out here."

"Er... right." Ray stepped out of the Waverider and immediately started shivering. "I... I, um, just wanted to give you these?" He held out a pair of wristbands.

Leonard examined one of the bands and found what appeared to be a rounded stone set on the inside. "Sea bands." He quirked an eyebrow at the scientist. "Thank you?"

"Temporal energy siphons," Ray corrected him. "And converters. Although I guess that crack means you've already figured out how to wear them. Gideon and I have been working on some ways to deal with the side effects of time travel. Easier said than done since those effects seem to change every time, which is probably why the Time Masters haven't developed their own cure-all. But since it tends to leave _you_ 'dead to the world' lethargic, I came up with these to try to restore your energy. They're designed to absorb the temporal energy from our traveling and feed it right back into you." He shrugged. "They still won't help with other side effects, but it'd be like your, um, affliction never existed. Or at least it shouldn't matter to the jumps; theoretically you'd be ready to join in whatever mission as soon as the rest of us are."

Both of Leonard's eyebrows shot up at the explanation before his eyes narrowed into a frown. " _Theoretically_. I don't know that this is a good time to try something you've never tested."

"Actually, we _have_ tested them," Ray said. "Me and Firestorm both. They work great. I wanted to give them to you after Nanda Parbat, but I discovered a tiny problem... They need to be exposed directly to the temporal energy to absorb it, and I haven't come up with a way to make them _store_ that energy, so...."

"So _I_ would need to be exposed directly to that energy to use them," Leonard finished. "Meaning I can't use them on the Waverider."

Ray nodded. "Not yet. I'm still working on a battery for them. But with Barry taking you through the Speed Force, Gideon says you'll be able to absorb that energy without a problem, _and_ have the same protection he does."

"Huh." Leonard thrust his gun into Barry's arms, forcing the speedster to fumble to keep from dropping it. He placed one of the bands on his left wrist, with the stone directly over the pressure point on the front. He felt a slight jab, identical in sensation to acupuncture, and the band vanished from sight.

He felt along his wrist but there was no sign of the band.

"It camouflages itself," Ray explained. "Not just from view, but from, well, physical reality. You won't have to worry about it catching on anything, and it won't come off until you want it to. But I think even _you_ would forget you're wearing it before that happens."

"Huh," Leonard said again. He held up the other siphon. "If these work even half as good as you say, I might have to take back everything I've ever said about you."

"Thanks!" Ray grinned. "Wait, what?"

Leonard flexed the fingers on his right hand a few times as he continued to examine the second siphon.

"Your DNA isn't any different," Ray murmured. "Not after.... Professor Stein made sure everything was compatible. It'll work the same."

Leonard nodded, took a deep breath, and slid the other siphon into place on his right wrist....

Only when the second band vanished like its twin did he release that breath.

"You like it?" Ray asked.

"It'll do," Leonard replied. He glanced back at the scientist. "You can _go_ now. Both of you."

Ray fled back inside the ship without another word.

Rip stuck around for just a moment longer. "Keep him safe, Mr. Allen," he said. "Mr. Snart might be embarrassed to admit it, but for some reason Gideon's taken a shine to him. I suspect she'll have _both_ of our heads if you don't return him intact." He closed the cargo bay door before either of them could form a reply.

Leonard sighed. "Go on, Barry," he said. "I can see you're burning to ask."

But Barry only looked at him with the first real smile he'd worn since arriving. "I just... never mind."

"My rules," Leonard said. "Did you forget that part already? Maybe you should get the distractions out of your head _before_ we start planning any heists."

"Well, I suppose...." Barry shrugged. "I mean, even Cisco said there were side effects. But I guess it's just a little weird hearing you guys talk about time travel like it's some kind of disease."

"For me, it is," Leonard replied. "Maybe being a speedster makes you immune, but for us mere mortals, traveling to another time can be damned uncomfortable. And _apparently_ , having an eidetic memory makes me a little more sensitive to it than the rest of the team." He cocked his head. "There was something else?"

"Um...." Barry stared at the ground again. "I.... I'll need to get a running start. But we need to be somewhere more open for this to work."

There was the familiar sensation of vertigo and Leonard found himself deposited at the edge of the woods, watching the speedster run in circles, before he finished processing that Barry had evaded the question.

 _Fine_. The thief sighed. _Keep your secrets... for now._

Then there was no more time to complain. A hole opened in the sky, and a flash of red and yellow lightning propelled him towards it and into another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was more to this one, finishing at the "single's table at the wedding reception" line, but as mentioned above, this whole thing had been written before I watched the episode... and so much of that version was too different from official canon based entirely on who said what.  
> Case in point, that version had HR making the "I'll be in your lab" comment (the transcript listed all of the dialogue, but not who said any of it) in an effort to avoid the looming awkwardness, while Len only walked off afterwards due to feeling dizzy and needing to process how the Labs had changed because he could not only remember, but _literally see_ both pre- and post-Flashpoint versions of the layout... though of course the team, having no idea that changing history could have that effect specifically on someone with an eidetic memory, assumed that he was merely giving himself some space to privately recover from the "normal" side effects of time travel.  
>  I might still decide to post a version of that version at some point, but rewriting it around the dialogue will be a necessity...
> 
> Some things in this version will naturally be modified for Catalyst, besides the obvious point that Barry never interacted with the Waverider's crew in the episode-case in point, the temporal energy siphons actually _will_ work without that direct contact, so Ray gives them to Len right after Nanda Parbat as planned, they just happen to absorb more energy while traveling through the Speed Force than anyone expected.
> 
> Linked fics:  
> Flash Sideways, of course, since this version is a whole "what if" based on how that story might change in-canon events if it itself had been canon... or at least if I was the one writing those events. ;)  
> Len's ability to remember other timelines prompts him to think that it would be even _more_ dangerous for him to know (what he assumes is) his own future than it would be for a "normal" time traveler. And if you've read the Flash Sideways series, you'll have a pretty good idea why Len's not inclined to take that kind of risk... and why Rip agrees with the initial refusal. Though Barry's tendency to flinch when the subject of Len's future comes up has the thief concerned enough to keep angling for hints, despite the realization that he _probably_ doesn't want to know.  
>  Catalyst, as this is an alternate timeline and a version of a scene written specifically for that short fic. The concern about Len's DNA and whether the siphon will work on his right wrist the same as his left is likewise a direct reference to the events of Catalyst.


	2. Reflex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Len is an ass to Julian. Because I felt like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I lied. I've another "what if" chapter already... mostly because I'd written this as part of the previous one, albeit skipping ahead a bit.  
> Like the previous chapter, this scene was written _before_ I'd watched Infantano Street and, due to the Flash Sideways premise, has Len retreating from the Cortex not to go to Cisco's lab and "get things ready" but to deal with the disorientation that is processing how things had changed.
> 
> This particular scene skips over the team's discovery of Len's disorientation (see next paragraph) straight to them insisting he get a medical checkup to be sure he's actually in a condition to offer the help he was asked for. Given Caitlin's absence I ended up using Julian for the purpose (I was unaware at the time of writing that he never appeared in that episode).
> 
> As for skipping over stuff, I had three different versions of _how_ they discovered how the time travel affected Len.  
>  One of those scenes has Barry, being the kind-hearted all-too-trusting individual that he is (though life is certainly turning him into a cynic of late), discovering Len being sick in the bathroom. Another has Joe being suspicious enough to go look for him after he'd been gone for a while. The third has Cisco (as the only one who's flown on the Waverider and thus the only one theoretically familiar with those side effects) being volunteered against his will to check up on Len.  
> All three versions have Len complaining "If this is what a hangover feels like, I don't _ever_ want to drink"... Barry's version ends there with an admission that the speedster can't get drunk (and a sarcastic "lucky you", followed by Len feeling like he still needs to vomit); Joe and Cisco's versions have them claiming that they prefer hangovers over what Barry's speed does to them, before Len advises them to consider soundproofing the cortex because he doesn't even need to eavesdrop to hear things he isn't supposed to.
> 
> All characters seen or mentioned copyright DC, CW, etc.

"Okay, now close the right eye," Julian said.

Leonard closed his right eye as instructed and opened the left. He tried not to flinch at the light shining directly on his pupil.

"Tracking's good," Julian said. "Both eyes dilate and constrict properly. No more double vision?"

"No," Leonard replied. "I'm _fine_. Or I will be as soon as you quit trying to blind me. Can we get on with this?"

"Not quite yet." Julian set the light down and picked up a rubber mallet. "I believe next is—"

"I hit back," Leonard said.

That hadn't been true for years, but he still found himself astonished at what he could decipher about a person's medical skills by how they reacted to such a comment.

Cisco looked up from the monitor and watched them with a gleam in his eye.

 _So glad one of us is amused_. Leonard refrained from rolling his eyes at the kid's expression.

Julian's mouth opened and closed a few times. "It's to check your reflexes," he finally replied.

His eyes were narrow, but his hands shook and his knuckles were white around the handle of the mallet.

Fear at the warning. Scorn at needing to explain something so obvious. And not even a hint of reassurance that he wouldn't actually _hurt_ Leonard.

Not that Leonard needed the reassurance. But still, the combination made for some pretty lousy bedside manner, even allowing for the fact that the man was examining a known killer.

Leonard shrugged. "I know. That's my reflex. I. Hit." He leaned forward just a little. " _Back_."

Julian backed up several steps, clutching the mallet to his chest. "I—I—I think we're d—done now," he stammered.

Leonard hopped down from the bed, prompting Julian to take another quick step back. " _Amateur_ ," he scoffed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the previous chapter, "there was more to this one." But unlike the previous one, leaving the extra stuff out of _this_ one was a combination of things that just wouldn't work for the purpose (e.g. more angst than the team can afford while still staying on track with the main plot) or me not knowing how I wanted to handle it given the obvious "alternate timeline" that the What If premise requires.  
>  Namely, there was Julian complaining about not being Caitlin or having her medical experience (to which Len points out it's too bad because she had some _real_ fight to her), and/or Len commenting that they should've had Henry (aka Barry's dad) there because he would never have let Let get away with that threat.  
>  The version where Caitlin is mentioned is one where I just didn't know how I wanted to handle it; do I assume Len doesn't know about Killer Frost working for Savitar or is that the reason he considers it a "pity"?  
> The version where he mentions Henry, on the other hand, would potentially be more angst than the team can afford under the circumstances. _That_ version has Iris punching Len for the comment, as she thinks he's making a cruel joke. Len is confused by her reaction; he's _sure_ he deserved that but has no idea why and he's more than a little angry that Iris punched him while wearing the ring (he's concerned she might have damaged it, but his concern is entirely for sentimental reasons-due to who previously owned that ring-and not at all because he's a thief). Cisco corrects her and says that Len and Doctor Allen knew each other from Iron Heights and were actually _friends_. Someone (Joe, probably) questions Cisco's willingness to believe Len with a story like that, and Cisco says "No, but I believed Doctor Allen when he told me practically the same story" (see Flash Sideways chapter 8 if you want to see what "story" he'd be referring to... or wait until I reach that point in the Flash Sideways prequel What Could Have Been). This version would lead to the team discovering the nature of Len's friendship with Henry _and_ Len learning for the first time about Henry's death, and so on and so forth.
> 
> Linked fics:  
> Flash Sideways, of course, since this version is a whole "what if" based on how that story might change in-canon events if it itself had been canon... or at least if I was the one writing those events. ;)  
> Technically Catalyst, as this is a follow-up to the previous chapter, but this scene doesn't have anything to do with the content of that fic... not even as an alternate timeline.


	3. Alternate Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you've been reading Alternate Universe then you've probably already come across this chapter. But here it is again anyway. :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a "what if" for a completely different reason than the previous two chapters... and most likely future chapters.  
> Other chapters, like those first two, assume that official canon is (mostly) intact. They ask "what if my headcanon was real canon" and are written for the express purpose of modifying in-canon scenes to satisfy my own curiosity. Official canon took priority, and those chapters simply changed certain lesser details in order to add my headcanon to the mix.  
> This one, however, works the other way around. It is based, _dependent_ even, on the premise that canon is not intact at all--the entire story of Alternate Universe is one big "what if" that asks "What if Leonard (and others) never joined Rip Hunter... and Zoom took notice of him?" In this one, the alternate version of events is the story's priority, and the chapter below happens to be one of that story's few attempts to include official canon.
> 
> With that, I give you chapter 12 "Three Fronts" of the story Alternate Universe:
> 
> In which timelines converge, Jesse still needs to be rescued from Zoom, and Len's control begins to crack.
> 
> OOC is Serious Business and all that.
> 
> First two sections taken directly from Flash S2E19 "Welcome to Earth-2" and modified as needed to account for the difference in the timeline.  
> Some changes in dialogue et al were necessary to incorporate the Rogues and League members, some... not so necessary. And one change means I don't need to work out the timing of the Arrow episodes.
> 
> All characters seen or mentioned copyright DC, CW, etc.  
> (FYI, if you haven't been reading Alternate Universe... "Roy" in this context is Roy G Bivolo. Roy Harper has not shown up in that fic, and probably won't unless I come up with an easier way to separate them that doesn't require being inconsistent with the in-narrative naming.)

"29, 28, 27, 26," Cisco counted down. "Come on buddy, just 25 more to go."

Nyssa, clad in blue jeans and a t-shirt, examined a set of x-rays at another computer.

"Any luck with his injuries?" Sara asked.

"Not as such, no," Nyssa replied. "It's rather fascinating, actually. We of the League have always been trained to press on in spite of injuries, to tend to them only as the mission allows or if they imperil our success, but we are no more adept at healing than any other. But this man, Snart... I've never  _seen_  anyone recover so quickly." She glanced over to see Leonard watching the monitor over Cisco's shoulder.

The thief looked up to catch her eyes on him, and immediately recoiled. He had barely  _stopped_  doing that since Henry had allowed him out of bed.

Nyssa quickly looked away before she risked panicking him again. Fear was a common weapon for the League, but it served no purpose here and would almost certainly interfere with the mission. " _Physically_  recover," she amended. "If Doctor Allen had not provided these documents, I would never have guessed that he had been attacked. Ah, speaking of which... " She glanced at the latest member of their group. "I trust you are recovered as well?"

Thea shrugged. "Still pissed off that you and dad used me as a bargaining chip, but I'll manage."

"Bam!" Cisco called out. "Uh, that's how it's done!"

Thea watched as Barry zipped back into the Cortex, mask down, and tossed the final detonator at Cisco.

"He shoots, he scores!" Cisco said with a laugh.

"Not bad for someone who got a C in gym," Barry said.

"D plus," Caitlin said.

"Straight up F right here," Cisco added.

A smile flickered on Leonard's face.

"I guess maybe I'm a little surprised that you were willing to give Malcolm the Lotus," Thea continued. "Or that he was willing to agree to your suggestion. But with this...  _imposter_  lurking around... Enemy of my enemy, right?"

Nyssa scoffed. "Don't be naive," she said. "This cooperation is only temporary. We're not even allies; a common enemy does  _not_  make someone a friend."

Thea glanced again at Team Flash and the Rogues.

Shawna and Henry stood together, deep in conversation.

Iris West held one hand out in front of Roy. The metahuman gave her a helpless shrug.

"Idiot." Mick smacked Roy upside the head. "Quit making bets you can't afford to lose. Especially against the ladies." Then he smacked Barry on the shoulder, nearly staggering the speedster, before pushing him towards Leonard with a smile.

It was stress relief, Thea knew, not true camaraderie, but she was impressed just the same.

The only who didn't look happy was Joe, who watched the whole thing with the kind of disapproval that only a parent could manage.

"I'll, uh, try to keep that in mind," Thea said.

"I can't believe it," Leonard said. "You closed  _all_  of the breaches? That's impressive, even for you. I sure am glad  _I_  didn't bet against Iris."

Barry laughed. "All except the one," he said with a glance at the monitor. "Our last way to Earth-2."

Right on cue, Harry walked into the Cortex. "Ready?"

Leonard's smile vanished.

"Clock's ticking," Harry added.

"It always is," Leonard muttered.

—WHAT IF: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE—

"All right, Barry," Jay said as they walked down to the Pipeline. "Listen to me. You're going to go through the looking glass."

Leonard hung on to Jay's every word. The thief wasn't deluding himself; he  _knew_  he couldn't do anything to help, couldn't so much as speed the mission along, but he wanted to know every detail he could get about what Barry was about to face.

But Jay's description was... maddeningly vague.

"You're going to see things that look and feel familiar," Jay continued. "But they're not. Up is down, black is white, do  _not_  let yourself get sucked in emotionally. And good luck."

"Look," Barry said. He glanced at Leonard before he turned to address Caitlin and Jay. "If we're not back in 48 hours, that means that Zoom has us. If that happens..." He hesitated, looked at Leonard again, and sighed. "You have to close the breach."

A cry of dismay escaped Leonard's throat before he could stop himself.

"We're  _not_  going to do that!" Caitlin protested.

" _Barry_..." Leonard winced at the whine he heard in his own voice.

Barry looked straight at Leonard. "Snart, I'm sorry. I know I promised, but..." His shoulders slumped. "If you saw anything of use when this guy attacked you, that'd be one thing. But right now all I can do is wait for Oliver's team to find something. And you know how bad speedsters are at waiting."

Leonard stared at the floor. He  _had_  seen something, hadn't he? But he'd been confused, disoriented from hypothermia and blood loss. And even now, knowing that Lisa's life was on the line, the very thought of examining that memory filled him with terror.

Barry clapped one hand on Leonard's shoulder. "These guys are doing everything they can to find Lisa," he said. "They have resources I couldn't even dream of; you couldn't have  _asked_  for better allies."

Better allies than  _assassins_? Than the same kind of people as the man who'd taken Lisa? "But..." Leonard turned until he could see the other team out of the corner of his eye; Oliver was watching the thief, but he made no effort to interrupt.

"Please, Snart. You  _have_  to trust them. If not for your sake, then for Lisa."

"I just..." Leonard forced himself to look at Barry. "Good luck. Go on; go be a hero."

Barry's mouth snapped shut mid-protest. He blinked a few times. "Uh... thanks."

"Go  _win_ ," Iris added. "And then come back. We'll be waiting for you."

"You get yourself back here in one piece," Joe said. "All right? Don't make me come get you."

Barry smiled, shook his head, and hugged his adoptive father. "No," he replied.

"I wrote this for my parents and Dante," Cisco told Caitlin. He held out a piece of paper. "If I don't come back, make sure he gets them."

"Cisco, you're coming back," Caitlin said.

"Caitlin,  _please_." Tears started to build in the young scientist's eyes.

"Okay. I will."

"Thank you."

Leonard sighed.  _Can this_ be _any more depressing?_  He wanted to believe that Barry would come back, that the speedster could help him find and save Lisa, but he'd never been very good at false hope. And their goodbyes, like they knew it'd be forever and just didn't want to admit it... Well, it was certainly important to prepare for the worst, but weren't the good guys supposed to be more optimistic than this?

"Be careful," Caitlin said, as she went from a tearful embrace with Cisco to an equally tearful one with Barry.

"Yeah," Barry replied. "Okay."

Caitlin extracted herself from Barry's arms and walked up to the remaining member of the group. "You too, Harry."

"Snow," Harry replied curtly. He stepped back before she could get any ideas about pulling him into a hug.

Joe caught Harry before he could walk away. "I hope you get your daughter back," the detective said. He shook the scientist's hand.

Harry nodded. "I'll make sure you get your son back," he replied.

Mick stopped Barry before the speedster could approach the breach. "Take care, kid," the arsonist said. "You make sure you get yerself back soon, you hear me? 'Cause if West doesn't come after you, I  _will_."

Barry nodded, ducked his head, and joined Harry by the breach.

Harry refused to look at him. "If I didn't know any better," the older man said, "I'd say you were more worried about leaving him behind than he is."

Barry sighed.

"You don't have to do this," Harry said.

"Yeah, I do," Barry replied.

Barry, Cisco, and Harry slowly made their way to the breach.

"Is anybody else feeling panic right now?" Cisco blurted. "I chickened out of bungee jumping when I was 18, but this is categorically a lot scarier."

"Once I turn the speed cannon on," Jay said, "the three of you will be able to pass through unharmed. But Barry, you  _need_  to make sure you keep your speed up."

Barry nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Cisco gasped. "I... I got no spit." He worked his mouth several times.

Leonard lifted one eyebrow. "Jaws?"

Cisco turned to glare at him. "I'm not just quoting 'Jaws.' I mean my mouth is really dry right now."

"Bit late for a drink," Leonard drawled.

"It's  _never_  too late for a drink," Mick replied.

Leonard shook his head.

"Do  _not_  get distracted by anything you see along the way," Jay warned.

Cisco looked at him, wide-eyed. "What are we going to see?"

"Everything," Jay replied.

Barry took a deep breath. "Do it, Jay."

Jay nodded and pulled the lever. The breach lit up with a sound like a rushing wind, with an odd mechanical reverberation to it.

Leonard almost convinced himself he could see something within, but he didn't dare get close enough to be sure.

Barry gripped Cisco and Harry by the shoulders. "Okay," the young speedster said. "Let's go." The three raced into the light and vanished.

Behind them, the machine containing the breach sparked and sizzled.

Caitlin stared in shock.

"What is..." Leonard noticed one of the rings wobbling. "Look out!" he called.

Jay tackled Caitlin to the floor, just in time to avoid being flattened by the ring.

The machinery sparked one last time, and the light died.

"You okay?" Jay asked. He helped Caitlin to her feet.

"Uh, yeah," Caitlin said. "I'm fine."

"What happened?" Leonard asked. "The breach..."

Jay stared at the machinery. "With the rest of the breaches closed, the energy surge to this last remaining breach must have destabilized it."

"Well, what does  _that_  mean?" Joe asked.

"As long as it's unstable," Jay said, "Barry and Cisco will be trapped over there." He looked around at the group. "We'd better get to work fixing it. Any volunteers?"

"I don't know much about all this science stuff," Mick said, "but if you need some extra muscle, I'm your man."

"Better get Rathaway first," Leonard said.

Mick nodded. "On it." The arsonist clambered back up the ladder much faster than his size led anyone to expect.

"You should probably get going, too," Leonard told Oliver.

"Are you sure?" Oliver said.

Leonard shrugged. Of course he was sure, even if Barry  _did_  say he could trust them.

But that wasn't what Oliver had meant. "Zoom's not taking a vacation while everyone fixes my problems," Leonard replied. "I highly doubt Darkh will be, either."

Oliver nodded. "True. Unfortunately. We'll be back soon. Count on it." He and Sara followed Mick up the ladder.

"Fighting the enemy on three fronts," Thea muttered. "Love  _those_  odds."

"That's why I'm leaving part of the League here," Malcolm replied, "under Nyssa's command."

"That bad, huh?" Leonard said.

Malcolm scowled. "If this guy's training is anything like ours,  _killing_  him won't be the problem." He turned and started up the ladder.

Leonard gave a start. He stared after the assassin's retreating back.

Did he dare hope...?

But Malcolm's parting words smashed that hope to pieces.

"Making him talk will be."

—WHAT IF: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE—

A flurry of activity soon took over the labs, as everyone pitched in, from helping fix the containment device, to keeping tabs on the search for Lisa, to simply preparing a snack when needed.

Everyone, that is, but for one thief.

Leonard had found a spot in the Pipeline where he could sit and stare at the breach and stay out of the way, and there he remained. He barely even blinked when he sensed someone standing over him.

"You do realize," Caitlin said, "when Iris told Barry we'd be waiting for him, she didn't mean you weren't allowed to leave this spot."

Leonard ignored her, preferring the solitude of his personal oblivion. It was easier to face than his current reality, though not easy enough. He envied the people who could find that oblivion at the bottom a bottle, but right now he couldn't even find the energy to drink.

Caitlin crouched to address him as near to face-to-face as his chosen perch allowed.

Leonard managed to turn away.

"Are you doing all right?" she asked. "Do you need me to get Biv down here?"

Leonard slowly shook his head. "No," he murmured. He answered, and answered truthfully, only because that one word took less effort than continuing to pretend that he hadn't heard.

But he had no idea which question he was answering.

He flinched when he felt her hands on his back. But she was gentle as she rubbed his back and shoulders, and he forced himself to relax into the massage.

Caitlin began to hum as she worked her way to his neck. A lullaby, of all things.

The gesture—the  _humming_ —was so like moments he'd shared with Lisa, one of the ways the siblings coped whenever Lewis invaded their lives. It broke the last shred of Leonard's control, and he wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Linked fics:  
> Alternate Universe, of course, as this is chapter 12 of that very fic.  
> Also, Caitlin's question if Len needs Biv refers to the Flash Sideways ficlet Recruitment Drive and Lisa's reasons for recruiting the meta.


	4. Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Teams Flash and Arrow both find out that Carter Hall has ties to the League of Assassins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What if... my headcanon was real canon? Here we have a slight rewrite of the Flash Season 2 Episode 8 Legends of Today, in which Carter Hall is revealed to have developed a particular method of dealing with the League of Assassins. (4,000 years of incarnations, stands to reason he might've encountered them a few times.) Why this method is necessary may be explored in another ficlet; here I left it out simply because having Carter explain the matter made the chapter deviate from canon a little more than I'm comfortable with, even for the sake of a "what if."
> 
> All characters seen or mentioned copyright DC, CW, et al.

"Kendra!" a young man called on the street below. "Hey, you going to be all right?"

The name was unfamiliar, but something about the woman made the man in the sky pause in his flight.

Carter used his enhanced senses to spy on the pair. _Chey-Ara_. He smiled. "Found you," he murmured. "Star City, just as al Saher said you would be."

But if he had found her, then Vandal Savage couldn't be far behind. And the immortal madman would not hesitate to go through anyone who tried to protect her. If her power had not yet emerged, then the youth speaking to her would be in danger simply by standing too close.

"It's just a lot to take in right now," Kendra said.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me before," the young man said. "I didn't want things to be different between us."

Kendra shook her head. "It's not that, Cisco," she replied. "If what everyone's saying is true—and it's beginning to seem like it is—my whole _life_ just changed, and I am so not ready for that."

"I hear what you're saying," Cisco said. "I do. When I first learned about my powers...."

 _Powers?_ Carter frowned. He knew Malcolm's grip on the League was shaky, but to miss a detail like that? What kind of powers, and from where? Was the kid one of these metahumans that the Particle Accelerator had created, then? Or perhaps he'd inherited his power just as Hector had once inherited Carter's own curse?

Or perhaps the demigod simply needed to keep a closer eye on Cisco to determine if the youth could truly be an ally. Cisco's powers, whatever they might be, could be useful, but _where_ they came from would hardly make a difference in the fight against Vandal Savage.

"... I remember feeling that exact same feeling," Cisco continued. "And sometimes I still feel that way. And all I can say is... every day gets a little bit more normal."

"You don't know the half of it," Carter scoffed.

Cisco took one of Kendra's hands in both of his own. "I promise you."

"Thank you," Kendra said.

"You're so welcome," Cisco murmured.

"Sorry, kid, but I got to break this up," Carter grumbled. He dropped down to meet the unsuspecting pair, flaring his wings to slow his dive. His feet barely touched the ground before he wrapped his arms around Kendra and took off again.

"Kendra!" Cisco called from below. He ran after them, but powers or no, no human had ever been able to keep up with the demigod in flight.

"Help!" Kendra shouted down to the youth.

She beat her fists against Carter's chest, smacked one palm against his helmet, kicked and screamed, but to no avail. The demigod merely shifted his grip on her to keep her from striking anything delicate, and trusted she'd have the good sense not to struggle out of his arms until she was ready to fly on her own.

But flying with a struggling passenger was more tiring than he remembered. He touched down on a high-rise and released his grip, allowing her to push away from him. His wings pulled back into his body as he removed his helmet to take a good look at her.

"Wow," he breathed. "You look as beautiful as ever." He took one step forward, but Kendra backed away. "Chay-Ara, it's _me_ , Khufu."

Kendra shook her head and gasped.

Carter gave her a few seconds longer to recover from the rush of memories. "Do you remember?" he asked. " _Look_ at me. You need to wake up."

"What are you talking about?" Kendra asked. "I don't know who you are!"

"You will once you emerge," Carter replied. "Until then, you need to stay by my side so that I can protect you."

"Protect me?" Kendra asked. "From what?"

"The man who's hunting you. Vandal Savage. I know that this is a lot to take in, but you sort of just kind of have to trust me on this. I...." His ears picked out an engine on the street below, making a beeline for their perch and moving _much_ too fast. Carter sighed. "Just one second," he said. "Stay right there."

He donned his helmet and flapped his wings, lifting into the air until he was high enough to spot the motorcycle headed his way.

The rider picked up a recurve bow and started shooting the moment Carter was in range. The demigod didn't waste any effort dodging, preferring instead to deflect the arrows with his mace as he watched the rider's technique.

Carter didn't think self-balancing motorcycles were available to the general public yet, which meant that the rider either was insanely wealthy, or had learned a level of control that would be impressive even within the League. That, combined with Malcolm's resources, meant that the demigod faced none other than Oliver Queen.

It was far from the first time he'd had to fight against one who was League-trained, and it probably wouldn't be the last. _Time to end this._ Carter flung the mace down in front of the motorcycle, sending it spinning out from underneath its rider. He landed and retrieved his weapon while Oliver climbed back to his feet.

"Give me the girl!" Oliver growled, a voice modulator making his voice deeper than Carter knew it to be.

Carter shook his head. "Not going to do that, Robin Hood."

"You're making a big mistake."

"I'll take my chances," Carter replied with a smirk. He flung the mace again as Oliver let loose another arrow, then closed the gap to let loose with his fists.

Oliver ducked a high strike and managed to land a single punch, low on Carter's face where the helmet didn't protect him.

Carter let the blow carry him around, then he spun back for another punch before he dropped the archer with two kicks.

He didn't have time to gloat before a new opponent rushed in. Another man, dressed in red and surrounded by lightning—Barry Allen, according to Malcolm's sources—raced forward.

 _Dammit, I don't have_ time _for this!_

"Heroes" these two might be to the rest of the world, but if they continued to pursue him they'd only make it easier for Vandal Savage to murder Kendra and himself. And that made them nothing less than Carter's enemies.

Carter ran at the speedster with a wild yell, causing Barry to hesitate just enough that the demigod could grab him by the arms and launch himself into the air. When he'd flown at least three stories high, he released his captive.

Oliver fired an arrow beneath Barry and into the building nearby. The speedster caught the thin line attached to the arrow and slid to safety next the archer.

"We need to expose his wings," Carter heard Oliver say.

"I'm open to suggestions," Barry replied.

" _Now_ you're listening to me?"

"It's your city, Oliver."

The demigod launched himself at the other two men.

"All right."

Oliver fired arrow after arrow into the air.

Carter dodged the arrows easily, and swung his mace at the archer with all his strength behind the attack.

Oliver ducked the blow, narrowly missing a messy beheading, and rolled back to his feet as Carter's momentum carried him overhead.

Carter tilted his wings to turn for another attempt on his enemies below. Barry was the nearer of his targets, and the demigod dove at him, right as the metahuman used his superspeed to unleash twin tornadoes from his arms.

Carter fought the winds, but the speedster followed his every move and he couldn't escape the attack. The demigod flew lower, one slow inch at a time.

Oliver fired one final arrow while Carter continued to struggle with the speedster. Twine wrapped around the demigod, imprisoning his wings, and he crashed to the ground.

Then Barry raced up.... but he didn't attack. The speedster ran circles around the demigod, building up his speed for a purpose Carter couldn't even guess at.

Carter watched the speedster run as he pulled free of the bindings. But before he could climb to his feet, the speedster slowed down and threw a lightning bolt at the demigod.

Carter's eyes widened at the attack that even he wouldn't be able to dodge in time. The lightning struck him in the chest, and the world went black.

—PHOENIX—

When Carter opened his eyes again, he found himself chained to a concrete post in a room that resembled a bunker. _Structurally sound?_ Probably... but he wasn't familiar enough with the area to be sure. He pulled at the chains, testing for a weakness, slack in the wrapping, anything that would let him break free without destroying the post and potentially bringing the building down on top of his head.

"Where is she?" he demanded of the people standing around him.

"What's your name?" Oliver asked.

"You're putting her in danger," Carter said, "and I'm the only one capable of _saving_ her!"

A young woman nearby scoffed.

 _Thea_. The daughter Malcolm hadn't known about until recently. Carter was starting to seriously question the League's willingness to follow that man. Small wonder that Oliver had had to _give_ him the demon's-head ring, he could never have won it on his own.

"You have a very interesting perspective on what the word 'saving' means," Thea said.

"She's the love of my lifetime, sweetheart," Carter replied.

The young woman only sneered in response.

"I was not gonna hurt her." Carter yanked on the chains again. Savage could be tracking them down already! If he couldn't get loose.... "You _need_ to let me go."

Kendra walked out, but she remained half-hidden at the back of the group.

"Chay-Ara," Carter murmured.

"My name is Kendra Saunders," she replied.

"In _this_ life," Carter said. "And I am... _was_ Carter Hall. But that is not who we are."

"What does that mean?" Kendra asked.

"You're Priestess Chay-Ara, I'm Prince Khufu. And we're lovers."

Cisco smirked.

"Soul mates," Carter corrected himself. Though they had loved each other in that sense throughout most of their incarnations, the word "lover" meant something completely different in this era than the impression he was trying to give to these strangers. "We've been partners for four thousand years. We're drawn to each other in life, and after we die, we reincarnate to find each other again and again and again. And now that I've found you, we should _really_ get out of here."

"Okay, Romeo," Cisco said. "Why don't you pump the brakes?"

"These people cannot protect you from Savage any longer," Carter insisted.

"Do you know who Vandal Savage is?" Oliver asked.

Carter sighed. "In every lifetime, he hunts us down, and kills us. He's done it two-hundred and six times, and I'm not planning to make it two-hundred and seven."

"Why does he kill you?" Oliver's bodyguard, John Diggle, asked.

"His life force is tethered to ours," Carter replied. "Every time he kills us, he becomes more powerful. You do the math."

"You're o for two-hundred and six," Cisco said, "and you still think you're her best bet, hmm?"

"Okay," Barry said to Oliver, "so what we need to do is just find Savage and get rid of him."

Carter scoffed. "Well, _you_ can't get rid of him, my friend."

"Oh, yeah?" Barry said. "Watch us."

"It might be harder than you think," a voice said from behind Carter.

 _Finally_.

"Is that the only way this guy knows how to enter a room?" Barry asked.

Oliver sighed and waved a hand to silence the speedster.

"My associates tell me Savage left Star City a few hours ago," Malcolm said.

"For where?" John asked.

"We're not quite sure," Malcolm admitted. "But I assume after his run-in with you, he realized he needed something more powerful to complete his mission." He looked at Carter. "We think he's trying to locate the Staff of Horus."

Carter's eyes widened.

"Sorry," Thea said, "what is that?"

"It's a relic from our past...." Carter replied. "An ancient and powerful weapon." He looked at Oliver's team again. "If Savage gets his hands on it, it's going to be nearly impossible to stop him."

"Since when did our lives suddenly become an Indiana Jones movie?" Cisco muttered.

"Felicity?" Oliver said.

"Yeah," the other woman replied from where she was still trying to stay out of Carter's sight.

"Think you can find it?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, it's probably at some museum somewhere," Felicity replied. Her expression transformed from one of fear to excitement. "I'll, uh, work my magic, see what I can find."

" _Al Saher_ ," Carter muttered in Arabic. He looked back at Malcolm while Oliver's team focused on their own plans. " _Have some of your soldiers look for the staff. Under_ no _circumstances is it to be locked away in the League's vault. You find it before Savage does... destroy it._ "

" _It shall be done,_ " Malcolm replied. He smirked. " _Did you need some help getting out of that?_ "

Carter shook his head. " _Your predecessor needs to understand what he's dealing with; I think I'll make him do it._ " He was rewarded by watching the color drain from Malcolm's face.

" _As you say,_ " Malcolm said. And he and his squadron vanished back into the shadows.

"We're running out of time," Carter told Kendra. "You need to emerge _now_." He shook his head. "Come on, what is it gonna take for you to believe me? You _saw_ my wings. I know you know this is true. Please, just let me show you how."

Kendra shook her head.

Carter sighed. "I didn't want to do this, at least not in front of an audience, but you've left me no choice. None of you are willing to listen to reason."

Thea snorted. "What's that saying about the pot and the kettle?'

"Tell me something," Carter said, "does Ra's al Ghul still use the demon's-head ring as a symbol of power?" Though he knew the answer; Malcolm had already seen what the demigod could do, thanks to the ring.

But Malcolm—indeed, _any_ ruler of the League for the past few centuries—was completely unaware of the true nature of the ring. Even Damien Darkh had not understood what it was that he'd sent a mere child to steal some thirty-five years ago. Oliver would be the first in nearly six hundred years to learn the truth.

Oliver frowned. "What does that have to do with Savage?"

"Humor me," Carter said. "Answer the question and find out."

"Of course he does," Thea scoffed. "Whoever controls the ring controls the League. But to repeat Ollie's question...?"

Carter smirked. "The serpent to find you," he murmured, "the demon to bind you, the phoenix to guide you." Ordinarily he would never have said the chant in a modern language, preferring instead a mixture of older tongues—most of them dead—and creating what sounded like so much gibberish that no linguist could ever hope to untangle it, and by extension, no League assassin had ever devised a way to counter it.

Well, _ordinarily_ he'd only ever encountered the League in those few incarnations when he'd outlived Chey-Ara. But the world had changed a great deal since his last death, and before him was the potential for allies who stood a real chance of helping him defeat Vandal Savage. If he had any hope of persuading them of the truth of his words, he'd need to be honest about what he was capable of.... even if what he was capable of was not, itself, honest by any definition.

Oliver, as Carter had suspected, was just as susceptible to the chant as any of the League's former rulers. Not even the archer's eyes betrayed his internal struggle, as his body shifted into a military-straight pose, ready to act the instant the demigod ordered him to do so and not a moment sooner.

"Al Sahim," Carter addressed the man. "You have no will but to do as I say. You will release me. Not because you choose to, _clearly_ not because you think it's wise. But because I command it." He ignored the snickering from Thea, Felicity, and Cisco. "Unlock these chains. Now."

"It shall be done," Oliver murmured. He fetched the keys and unlocked the chains holding Carter in place, silencing the team's humor in an instant.

"Thank you," Carter said once he was free. "You can wake up now."

Oliver blinked, his eyes cleared. He stared at the chains on the floor, the key in his hand, and the demigod standing before him. He swallowed and took three quick steps back.

"What did you do to him?" Thea asked.

"You have a very interesting perspective of what the word 'control' means, sweetheart."

Thea narrowed her eyes. "Call me 'sweetheart' one more time and see what happens."

"How did you do that?" Oliver demanded. "I could see what I was doing—I tried to fight it, but it was like my _thoughts_ weren't even my own. Was that some kind of spell? _You_ can do magic?"

"Don't be absurd," Carter scoffed. "That was basic hypnosis." Though he wouldn't be surprised if magic _had_ been involved at the beginning; that would explain how it worked no matter what language he used, or the one time he'd tried it in the twelfth century after the Ra's al Ghul of that era had gone deaf.

"I am trained to _resist_ hypnosis," Oliver growled. His voice shook, ruining the attempt to sound threatening.

"Not against _me_ , you're not," Carter replied. "And your training is exactly what makes you vulnerable."

"If you can do that," John said, "why don't you just hypnotize Savage and get rid of him that way? Seems like it would've made it a lot easier to protect Kendra, instead of _kidnapping_ her and making yourself look like a lunatic."

"It would be, if I could do that." Carter shrugged. "But I don't know how far I can push someone against their will; I've never tested my limits. Believe it or not, there _are_ some lines I'm not willing to cross."

"You didn't seem to have a problem making me release you against my will," Oliver said. "Even after you tried to kill us."

" _But not while I was fighting you,_ " Carter replied in Arabic. " _And I never made you turn against your friends._ "

Oliver's face paled.

"Besides, didn't you any of you notice that Oliver was the only one affected?" Carter continued in English. "Savage isn't League. And he never _will_ be, because he knows that would be the fastest way to put himself under my control. Listen, Oliver.... When you trained to become the next Ra's al Ghul, there were certain rituals you took part in. Fighting styles you practiced. Potions you drank. The Elixir of the Phoenix includes three critical ingredients: the first, a drug that makes you _highly_ suggestible to hypnotic control; the second, a sample of my own blood, processed with the drug in such a way that I alone could use it."

"How could you be so sure that Oliver had taken that potion?" Kendra asked. "Before you hypnotized him, I mean. How did you know it would work?"

"You said there were three ingredients," Oliver said. "And the ring...?"

"The demon's-head ring is infused with a venom that would kill you inside a _week_ if you so much as touched it," Carter explained. He glanced at Barry. "Maybe a day, in your case. The third ingredient is the antidote." He gazed around the room, meeting the team's eyes one person at a time. "Now, are you going to let me prove my claims, or not?"

Oliver sighed. "Doesn't sound like we have much of a choice."

—PHOENIX—

" _Maybe a day, in your case,_ " Malcolm heard over the speaker in his ear. " _The third ingredient is the antidote._ "

He stared at the ring on his left hand.

"Son of a bitch!" he snarled.

Athena, one of his higher-ranked loyalists, glanced up at the outburst. "Is everything all right, my lord?"

"Change of plans," Malcolm said. "You find that staff, you hide it. Someplace I could never find it; don't even tell me if you've _retrieved_ it until I say otherwise."

Athena frowned. "Al Eanqa' was very clear that the staff was too dangerous and must be destroyed."

"His orders serve his _own_ interests," Malcolm snapped. "Not the League's. _Never_ the League's."

"My lord?"

Malcolm tapped the receiver in his ear. "Sounds like our new friend has been manipulating the League for a very long time. The Elixir of the Phoenix... he said it's a hypnotic drug." A drug that he had been required to take every new moon since the previous Ra's had made him one of the horsemen.

Athena's eyes widened. "Only the Ra's and his Horsemen take that elixir."

"Precisely," Malcolm agreed. Though that wasn't entirely true. According to the records, there had been a child, an outsider, who'd been given the elixir after a failed attempt to steal the ring about thirty-five years ago. He had been given the elixir at _Carter's_ orders, no doubt, and tested for entry into the League, instead of immediately executed as their laws demanded for such an intrusion.

But the elixir had never been intended for anyone but the Ra's and the horsemen, for those who were authorized to personally handle any of the Ra's weapons and relics. And if what Carter had said was true, then Malcolm couldn't _stop_ taking it... not without the Pit of Lazarus or giving up the demon's-head ring. "Find me a way to remove his taint from the League, and you will earn a place by my side as one of my Horsemen. Until then, I've been compromised, and I cannot be trusted with the staff; I may have no choice but to follow his orders."

Athena tilted her head to one side. "If I may, my lord... Perhaps this 'Vandal Savage' he fears so much would be willing to discuss an alliance?"

Malcolm suppressed a shiver. He knew far too little about the sorcerer, and what little he knew terrified him, but in light of this new discovery.... What was it that Oliver had said, that it was like his thoughts weren't even his own? "I'll look into it. Carter Hall's deception will _not_ go unpunished."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like including the scene at the end of Legends of Yesterday when Malcolm is collecting Savage's ashes (since official canon never continued the story in that direction), but I also felt that extending things that far, either in terms of the time-skip or in terms of recreating that much content (at least the content that Carter is aware of), might be overdoing it a bit.  
> Instead I feel that Malcolm's reaction at the end of _this_ version probably does a fair job of providing his motivation for his in-canon actions for the Vandal Savage plotline. Such a pity that official canon never continued things in that direction, I would _definitely_ like to see how those events would have played out.
> 
> Linked fics:  
> Carter alludes to having encountered the League before in a late chapter of Necropolis.  
> The nature of that encounter will be given in an upcoming ficlet that I'd like to title Phoenix. I _might_ include a version of this chapter (and the scene involving the child that both Carter and Malcolm referred to) in a late chapter of that ficlet, assuming I don't just let that one focus entirely on the incident Carter had mentioned in Necropolis. I most likely will include the scene involving the child in the Majummed storyverse, whenever I get to writing the main fic.


End file.
